Big 4 Tour for 2010 and of course Cy-Metal.com couldn’t be away for this historical event.

On
Tuesday 22/06/2010 morning, we started our trip from Thessaloniki
(Greece) with busses towards Sofia, Bulgaria. Due to some bloody
mechanical problems the one of the busses stacked in the way so we had
a huge delay and we arrived in Sofia late enough to loose the Anthrax
show.
While trying to get into the Levsky stadium, the
heavens opened up and enormous quantities of rain and hail came down to
ground, making us wet enough so nipples being visible through t-shirts
(this is heavy :D ).

Megadeth

I entered stadium with Dave Mustaine’s Megadeth
on stage performing “A tout le monde”. Great performance I admit, his
strange vocals always strange-pleasure to hear and Elefson’s bass-fills
hellish. Being familiar with Broderick’s guitar works through Jag
Panzer (albums and live) I expected what to hear from Chris.
Here’s the complete Megadeth setlist of the show

Holy Wars... The Punishment Due

Hangar 18

Wake Up Dead

Headcrusher

In My Darkest Hour

Skin o’ My Teeth

A Tout Le Monde

Hook In Mouth

Trust

Sweating Bullets

Symphony Of Destruction

Peace Sells…

Slayer

After Megadeth’s appearance Slayer
came on stage. Killer performance from Lombardo but Araya didn’t show
me what I expected. Later I learned that he recently had a surgery so I
kinda justify him.
Here’s the setlist of Slayer’s appearance:

World Painted Blood

Jihad

War Ensemble

Hate Worldwide

Seasons In The Abyss

Angel Of Death

Beauty Through Order

Disciple

Mandatory Suicide

Chemical Warfare

South Of Heaven

Raining Blood

Metallica

And time came
for the headliners of the festival. Metallica. I have to admit that
Metallica after Black Album have never made it for me to get into my
weekly playlists. But hell I fall down on my knees and worship the
whole “Ride the Lightning” album!
And what a great
surprise for me to see them start the show with Creeping Death!
Headbanging and METAL through the Bulgarian rainy atmosphere and here
comes Ernest Hemingway: For Whom The Bell Tolls? Show goes on with Fuel
and, BOOM, my favorite Metallica Song, Fade To Black! Ten more songs,
new and old ones, including classics like One and Master Of Puppets, to
came to the biggest surprise of the festival, and probably one of the
moments that future generations will speak for.
James
Hetfield calls on Stage MEGADETH, ANTHRAX and SLAYER. They come onstage
holding their gear and BIG 4 unite for Metal and perform Diamond Head’s
classic AM I EVIL. Now this is what I call history! It was really a
pleasure for my eyes to see Mustaine, Hetfield and Belladona sing
together “Am I Evil, Yes I Am!”
And for closure, after rest of the bands leaved the stage, Metallica gave hell with Hit The Lights and Seek And Destroy!
Here’s the complete Metallica setlist

Creeping Death

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Fuel

Harvester Of Sorrow

Fade To Black

That Was Just Your Life

Cyanide

Sad But True

Welcome Home (Sanitarium)

All Nightmare Long

One

Master Of Puppets

Blackened

Nothing Else Matters

Enter Sadman

Am I Evil? (Diamond Head’s cover with BIG 4 on stage)

Hit The Lights

Seek And Destroy

Happy everyone we leave the stadium and get to the hotel where hot shower and clean bed awaits.
We rest and wake up the next day to enjoy the Kings Of Metal.

This time we went early at the stadium and waited till the doors open.
There I met again with Cotsios616
from Cy-Metal.com and the other Cyprus companion and we got our
position in the front lines of the B section in the Arena. A Bulgarian
band, Stone Sour and Alice in Chains performed in front of my eyes, but
not my cup of tea so I’ll pass the description and go straight to the
Kings.

Manowar

“…from The United States of America, All Hail Manowar!”
And Manowar came on stage! We Met on English ground… The four Metal Kings were there, ready to give PURE STEEL. After the self named Manowar, the Call to Arms followed. Some problems with sound but we didn’t care much about it. The show continues with Kings of Metal and the sound bad quality continues.
Then, the Warriors of the World United!! Thunder in the Sky
from their new EP took it place in the setlist to be followed by the
ultimate Metal Hymn, the song that every living poser in the universe
is afraid of. HAIL AND KILL!!! Adams vocals are indescribable.
And they close the show with a song in honor for metal god Ronnie James Dio.
Black Sabbath’s Heaven And Hell!
The Manowar setlist was as follows:

Manowar

Call To Arms

Kings Of Metal

Warriors Of The World United

Thunder In The Sky

Hail And Kill

Heaven And Hell (Black Sabbath cover)

After Manowar leaving the stage much time of preparation took place for Rammstein.
Even if their music is not even metal, I really, REALLY enjoyed their
show! All that fireworks, the explosions, the theatrical performance of
the band members and the lightning and scene equipment that was used
made me stay staring them.

After the show we got on the busses and came back to Greece.
All Hails to Cotsios616 Avgousti from Hardraw.